Chapter 562 What level is this? Same bounty as mine? [Seeking monthly votes!]
Night, full moon.
On a large river at the border of two prefectures, north of Hongzhou and south of Jiangzhou.
On the wide river, dozens of boats of varying sizes are slowly sailing.
The Yangtze River water in the Jiang and Hong sections is relatively clear, far less turbid than the water near the estuary in places like Nanjing downstream.
The river surface shimmered under a bright, full moon.
From a high vantage point, the hundreds of boats on the river, sailing alongside the rushing water under the moonlight, appear perfectly still.
It solidified into a rather spectacular scene.
If someone were here, they would recite a line, high or low:
The river and sky are one color, without a speck of dust; the bright moon hangs alone in the sky.
The waterway between the two states is bustling with activity, with various types of ships, including passenger ships, cargo ships, merchant ships, and freight ships.
There were even some luxurious pleasure boats belonging to high-ranking officials, wealthy patrons, and brothels from the surrounding prefectures and counties, drifting along the riverbank.
However, at present, Hong and Jiang prefectures are close to the front line, and the most common ships on the river are passenger ships heading east to seek refuge, and cargo ships and transport boats silently heading west to deliver supplies.
Along the edges of the shipping lanes, several official ships, adorned with torches and laden with soldiers and armor, occasionally sailed by, quietly escorting the grain transport route.
However, there were too many ships on the river for the official ships to monitor them all, so they only closely followed and monitored the grain and cargo ships that were escorting supplies and important materials.
As for the passenger ships, merchant ships, and pleasure boats, they were mostly ignored, as long as they did not get close to the logistics fleet sailing in the middle of the river.
At this moment, not far from the shore, on the river, there is an ordinary-looking but huge merchant ship, quietly moored, brightly lit, flying the flag of a well-known merchant in Jiangnan—Taoshouzhai.
A shop selling precious herbs, as well as exquisite pastries and fruits.
The Taoshouzhai merchant ship did not attract the attention of passing ships on the surrounding river.
From sunset to the moon rising high in the sky, every now and then a lone small boat comes along, moors beside the merchant ship, drops off its passengers, and then quickly sails away.
These small boats came from the counties and prefectures along the riverbank, as well as from passenger boats hurrying south on the river.
Those who boarded the deck included a bearded man, a begging monk, a merchant's wife, a Taoist priest in a blue turban, and a lazy scholar who drifted ashore drunk from the boat, so effeminate that it was hard to tell if he was male or female...
This group of rather special guests stayed on the ship for a period of time; some left early, while others stayed longer.
Those who left carried large and small bags of herbs as they came out. The proprietress personally and politely saw them off the boat, quietly watching them leave from the deck. Then she turned her head and glanced at the group of painted boats not far away.
As soon as night falls, pleasure boats from brothels and taverns come to the prefectures and counties along the riverbank for sightseeing.
They were not far from the Taoshouzhai merchant ship that was temporarily moored.
These painted boats and pleasure boats were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and emitted the melodious sounds of string and wind instruments. The hearty laughter of wealthy young men and the soft, sweet songs of dancers and singers could be heard from time to time.
At this moment, in the night by the river, a melodious and clear sound of a zither is playing.
The faint, melodious voice of a courtesan could be heard singing from within the painted boat.
"The Yue maiden picks lotus by the autumn waters... her narrow sleeves and light silk reveal her twin gold bracelets... she plucks flowers that resemble her face... her heart is only troubled by the silk threads."
"At Mandarin Duck Beach, the wind and waves are still blowing... The fog is heavy and the smoke is light, I can't see the companions who came with me... The faint singing of returning boats is far away... The sorrow of parting leads me to the south bank of the Yangtze River."
A poem about butterflies and flowers.
It seems to have suddenly become popular recently. I heard it came from a wanted notice issued by the government, which was for the wanted number one rebel who had only left this word as a clue. His nickname was Butterfly Lover.
Surprisingly, instead of catching the person, this beautifully written poem, "Butterfly Loves Flowers," became a sensation.
It was very popular among the courtesans in brothels and taverns, and the music was arranged and sung, becoming popular in places of romance and pleasure.
Many courtesans and dancers even felt sorry for the talented owner of the Butterfly Lovers Pavilion, their sympathy overflowing...
As for his status as a wanted criminal by the imperial court... well, all I can say is that women's thought processes are different from men's; they have their own set of emotional logic.
At this moment, on the river, amidst the sounds of zither music and song drifting through the night, the Taoshouzhai merchant ship was somewhat quiet.
The people reveling on the pleasure boat and the courtesan who loved to sing "Butterfly Loves Flowers" were unaware of all this, still immersed in the leisurely atmosphere of the romantic place.
Suddenly, a little girl with her hair in a topknot ran out of a private room on the pleasure boat where guests had just taken their seats.
With two strands of clear snot hanging from her nose, she sniffed and ran with her short legs to the center of the most lively singing hall on the pleasure boat.
Seemingly feeling that she was too short, she moved a stool and climbed onto the table.
This perplexing action, taken in the center of the hall, immediately attracted the puzzled and curious gazes of everyone present, including the singing girls who were playing the piano and singing. They paused and turned to look.
But then they saw this little girl with snot hanging from her nose, her hair in a topknot, standing on the table with her hands behind her back, speaking to them in a childish voice:
“My husband said, ‘Sisters, stop singing this song. The government officials are looking for the guy who wrote it. If you keep singing it, word will get out and you’ll be arrested and interrogated tomorrow.’”
The once chaotic hall fell silent instantly. The wealthy guests who had been laughing and joking earlier all fell silent, and even the songstress who had sung the first lyrics turned pale with fright.
After pausing to catch her breath, the little girl with her hair in a bun quickly wiped her nose, then put her hands behind her back like a little adult.
She spoke in a soft, childlike voice, as if reciting a lesson to her teacher every day:
“My husband said that he didn’t mean to spoil everyone’s fun, but he just couldn’t stand this group of traitors in the court. And this guy in there, who left behind a poem and several portraits, called the ‘Master of Butterfly Loves Flowers,’ destroyed the statues of saints and Buddhas. He’s a traitor who’s always going against the saints and the court. What a bold fellow.”
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yes, yes, yes.
The wealthy patrons, the courtesans, and even the madam who had led her burly servants and henchmen to rush in and chase them away, all changed their expressions upon hearing this and quickly stopped... They all nodded in agreement.
After the little girl with her hair in a bun finished reciting her teacher's lines, she turned her head to look in the direction of the private room. Seeing that there was no other movement, she took out a heavy little purse and poured the gold and silver coins inside onto the table.
As everyone stared blankly at the gold and silver jumping beans bouncing on the table beside the little girl's feet, she tilted her head and said:
"Here you go. The gentleman said he was a little sorry for disturbing everyone's enjoyment, and he'll treat us to dinner and drinks tonight."
"I really hate those traitors, I have to speak out... The world is going to the dogs. Singing traitor songs in public is too much of a bad influence on little kids like me. The teacher will not tolerate it."
"Okay, you guys continue, stop singing. Oh, and that older sister playing the piano, stop playing too."
After explaining all this, the little girl jumped off the table, leaving behind gold and silver beans, and ran back to a private room under the astonished gazes of everyone.
Inside the private room, a graceful white figure seemed to stand up and greet her.
"Ding-a-ling—" accompanied by a faint, clear bell sound.
Inside the hall, the madam hurried forward, picking up the gold and silver coins as she beamed, praising, "This young lady is truly well-educated and reasonable; she could only have been raised by a teacher who is righteous and hates evil..."
"Yes, yes, your character is as lofty as the mountains and as enduring as the rivers..." Everyone echoed in agreement.
The lively atmosphere inside the painted boat was restored, but the music and a certain song about butterflies and flowers were missing.
After tidying up the main hall, the madam prepared to offer a toast to the wise and righteous gentleman, only to be told by her maid that the master and apprentice had not stayed a moment longer and had already left the pleasure boat and sailed away.
The madam was startled, turned to look at the night outside, and saw what appeared to be a small boat slowly drifting away on the river.
It seemed to be heading towards the quiet merchant ship with the flag of Taoshouzhai not far away.
Two white figures, one large and one small, could be vaguely seen on the boat.
One was short, the little girl with the runny nose; the other was dressed in white, graceful and tall…
"Sir, if they sing this 'Butterfly Loves Flowers' poem, will the imperial court really arrest them all?"
"Whether the authorities will arrest them or not, I don't know, but I'm certain that if they keep singing like this, your eldest aunt will come out and destroy them along with the pleasure boat."
"Master nun is so amazing!"
On the small boat that had just left the painted barge, the little girl with pigtails immediately jumped up, her tone full of admiration.
The elegant lady in white beside her pressed down on her topknot-shaped head, saying with a hint of helplessness:
"You'd better keep your mouth shut for a bit, or you might end up getting yourself thrown into the river like last time."
The little girl with her hair in a bun looked confused: "Didn't my senior aunt teach me to fly last time? The reward after she made me 'say it again' wasn't anger at all?"
"As a reward, you can just fly and not worry about landing, right?"
Yunmeng Sword Ze's two female warriors, Jun Yu Nianyuan, who had appeared a month ago amidst the sound of a zither in Xingzifang, Xunyang City, chuckled and shook her head.
"Don't fall into the water and get cold again."
She took out a white handkerchief and wiped the snot from the little girl's nose.
This little girl was the one she brought out from the wealthy family in Xingzifang where she had previously been hiding.
The wealthy family, surnamed Li, had a daughter late in life and doted on her greatly, handing her over to Yu Nianyuan with utmost respect.
The little girl, nicknamed "Shu," has a single character in her name.
Li Shu then pointed to her chin and blinked, asking:
“I understand, sir. But why is the eldest nun angry? This poem, ‘Butterfly Loves Flowers,’ is beautifully written and sung. If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have liked to listen to it a little longer, having walked so much in the city today…”
"Sir, why doesn't the senior nun like listening to this music and lyrics?"
The little girl asked curiously.
Yu Nianyuan said slowly, "Because she didn't like the person who left this poem behind."
"Is that the Butterfly Love Flower Master who was listed alongside the Eldest Sister on the notice board on the city wall when we left the city?"
"right."
Yu Nianyuan nodded: "In the past, if you had met him, your senior aunt would have beaten him to death."
Li Shu seemed to be deep in thought: "So, the senior nun used to like him, but doesn't anymore? Is it like the saying in operas, 'love turns to hate'?"
"?"
Yu Nianyuan silently turned his head to look at his newly accepted disciple, not asking her why she thought that way, but simply giving her earnest advice:
"When we go inside, don't say these words. Even I can't save you from your innocent words."
Li Shu tugged at her hem:
"Didn't the master say that the senior nun used to want to beat him to death? Beating is a sign of affection, scolding is a sign of love. So, doesn't that mean she loves him to death?"
Yu Nianyuan remained silent.
As they approached the merchant ship, the river wind picked up, and the small boat the two men were in swayed violently in the wind.
The little girl quickly opened her arms and hugged her master's leg, burying her face in the hem of his white robe to secretly wipe her runny nose. Seemingly very interested in this newly met senior nun, she tilted her head back and asked curiously:
"Hmm, sir, the eldest nun used to be madly in love with him, but what about now? Does she not love him anymore?"
"Now..."
The gentle lady in white pried open the little head and carefully wiped her snot with a handkerchief.
As she folded her handkerchief, her fingers brushed against a wanted poster hidden in her sleeve, bearing the bounty of the ringleader who caused the collapse of the Donglin Buddha and the beheading of several high-ranking officials.
"Right now, in your eldest aunt's eyes, it should be... whether he lives or dies."
Yu Nianyuan chuckled softly.
"Oh, sir, what does this mean?"
At this moment, the small boat stopped; they had arrived.
Yu Nianyuan glanced at Li Shu, who looked up at him with the curiosity of a child, asking questions.
Actually, it's good that she's a little confused at such a young age. When she was suddenly taken away from home, she didn't cry or make a fuss. It's just that occasionally in the middle of the night, the little girl would suddenly run over, crawl into the blankets, hug Yu Nianyuan's waist, and ask if her parents didn't want her anymore because she hadn't written her words well...
Yu Nianyuan patiently reached out and gently patted Li Shu's head.
"Let's go, remember what you just said."
Immediately, the gentle lady, accompanied by the little girl with her hair in a topknot, calmly boarded the deck.
With the respectful farewell of the proprietress of Taoshouzhai, the master and apprentice entered the ship's main hall together...
(End of this chapter)
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